Would You Sign This Petition Against The Passion Gap?

Lynn Sirmonpong, a Western Cape teacher, is done with the passion gap.

If you haven’t heard the term before it refers to the gap some people have between their front teeth. It’s often seen as a symbol of Coloured culture and has been used as a punchline in memes and ads. Remember that old Oros commercial where the bottle shouted “naa’djie” through a big gap? That’s the passion gap in a nutshell.

But for Sirmonpong the passion gap has grown into something bigger than just a cultural reference. In 2023 she kicked off a petition on Change.org calling for dentists to stop pulling healthy teeth from young people who want to fit into the trend.

The problem isn’t just how the gap looks it’s the effect it has on people’s health and the long-term consequences of messing with your teeth for something that’s essentially cosmetic. Sirmonpong believes people especially the younger generations don’t fully understand what they’re doing when they opt for extractions.

It’s easy to think it’s harmless because everyone around you has it. But once those teeth are gone they’re gone and future dental issues aren’t something most people factor in when they make that choice.

“As a teacher on the Cape Flats, I am saddened to see young children under the age of 18 take the decision to remove their front teeth without fully understanding how it can affect their future socially and economically. Dentists in our local communities should not be extracting healthy unproblematic front teeth of minors for popular culture. 

Coming together as a community to recognise this trend as an unethical dentistry practice will help direct the future of our youth in a positive way.

We must hold unregistered and unethical dentists accountable for their actions and contribution to this cultural trend that young people unaware of its repercussions on their future. If we do not act now, the future of our youth will continue to be left in the hands of those who do not care for them.“

This issue was highlighted years ago in a Bloubergstrand supermarket where employees were told they had to show up with a full set of teeth or prove they planned to get dentures. Customers apparently had trouble understanding the staff because of missing teeth.

In my opinion people should be judged on their ability to do their jobs not their appearance. Especially when the standard of beauty or professionalism seems to be set by trends that aren’t always rooted in reason.

As of now Lynn’s petition has 4,638 signatures. She’s aiming for 5,000 for the next goal.

What do you think? Does she have a point? Would you sign this petition.

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